Dark Blues veterans to use age as cup bid spur

Dave Mackay reckons Dundee’s older contingent will be desperate to cap their careers with some silverware – just like his former St Johnstone team-mate Liam Craig.

The Dark Blues have a few thirty-somethings in their squad such as Charlie Adam, Paul Mcgowan and Liam Fontaine.

All will be keen to add another honour to their CV.

Dee assistant manager Mackay, who watched his ex-saints comrade Craig lifting the Betfred Cup in February after missing their 2014 Scottish Cup win, knows exactly how motivated they will be.

“We have players in a similar situation (to Craig), getting towards the last few years of their career and they’ll all be desperate to win something,” he said.

“I’m sure Charlie won a few things at Rangers and got promoted with Blackpool, but he’d love to win a trophy for Dundee.

“When you are at that stage and chances are getting more and more limited, you appreciate what it means even more.

“Paul Mcgowan will be thinking like that and so will Liam Fontaine, who has won it before but would love to do it twice.”

When Craig helped Saints win the League Cup at the end of February, Mackay knew what the historic achievement would mean to him.

The Dark Blues number two lifted the Scottish Cup as Perth skipper in 2014, when his own playing career was edging to a conclusion.

So he could appreciate more than most how 34-year-old Craig must have felt to finally savour silverware success and have a medal of his own.

Mackay, who will welcome his former teammate to Dens on Saturday for the third round Scottish Cup tie with St Johnstone, said: “I was delighted for Liam and messaged him after the final.

“He is one of the nicest guys in football and he’d been unfortunate in his career because he left St Johnstone just before we won the Scottish Cup, then left Hibs the year they won it.

“So if anyone deserved a medal it was him, and I was thrilled for him to win something.

“He’s a similar age to what I was when we won the Scottish Cup so I know what it feels like.

“You’re getting towards the end of your career and you get this opportunity so you have to take it.

“I was gutted for Murray Davidson, though, who missed out again after being injured in 2014.

“He’s another one who deserved it, so it was a real shame.”

Mackay added: “Liam is a great guy. I think he’s close to becoming St Johnstone’s all-time appearance record holder because he’s not far behind Steven Anderson now.

“He deserved it for the service he’s given them. It’s good to see the good guys get a bit of recognition.”

While Craig may be entering the veteran stage of his career, Mackay believes he is still improving with age.

He added: “I have watched a few of their games this season and he’s been excellent for them, he’s playing as well as he’s ever been.

“When he came back to Saints from Hibs he was just training because I don’t think the money was there to sign him at first.

“He probably signed a contract way below what he would have been expecting but he just wanted to come back and play.

“That was five or six years ago now and he’s still there, being an important player for them.

“He’s playing in a different position now, in the holding role pulling the strings – so he’s reinvented himself in the last few years.”

DETERMINED: Charlie Adam would love to win a trophy for Dundee, said assistant manager Dave Mackay.